Britain rules out cyber attack as cause of its air traffic problems

2023-08-29 10:08:02

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government said Tuesday the collapse of the nation’s air traffic control system that caused hundreds of delays and cancellations was not caused by a cyberattack.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the problem was due to a “technical glitch” at flight control operator National Air Traffic Services. According to the company, the failure affected its ability to process flight plans automatically, forcing them to manually enter them for hours, a much slower process that resulted in fewer takeoffs and landings.

“It’s going to take a few days to get people to where they should be,” Harper told the BBC.

The problem occurred on a holiday Monday in late summer, one of the busiest air traffic days of the year in the country. Aviation research firm Cirium said 232 flights due to depart from British airports and 271 due to land were canceled on Monday followingnoon.

Dozens of flights were canceled at Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, which warned of “chain repercussions.” At least 32 departures and 31 arrivals at Heathrow were canceled on Tuesday.

Gatwick airport, the second busiest in the British capital, said it was scheduled to operate as normal on Tuesday but advised passengers to check the status of their flights with airlines before going to the airport.

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